Field of the Invention
The present disclosure generally relates to information processing and, more particularly, to an information processing apparatus having a touch panel display, a method for controlling the information processing apparatus, and a storage medium.
Description of the Related Art
In recent years, image forming apparatuses having a touch panel display have been commonly used. Such an image forming apparatus is provided with various applications such as copy, print, scan, and FAX transmission. A user is able to make setting for each application and instruct the apparatus to start processing of each application by performing touch operations on software buttons on the touch panel display.
Button control on a touch panel display will be described below with reference to FIGS. 7A to 7D. FIG. 7A illustrates an appearance of the touch panel display. The touch panel display includes a touch panel area 701 which is comprised of a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a touch panel stuck thereon. The touch panel display further includes software buttons 702 and 703. FIGS. 7B and 7C are sectional views illustrating the touch panel taken along a line 704 illustrated in FIG. 7A, and touch operations by the user. A section 706 is equivalent to a line 707, and a width 705 of the button 702 in the X direction is equivalent to a button 708. Since the software buttons 702 and 703 on the touch panel display are 2-dimensionally formed, to make determinations in the X and the Y directions, it is necessary to detect a touch position. However, since these determinations are similarly handled, one-dimensional representations are used to simplify descriptions in FIGS. 7B and 7C.
Generally, there are the following two different cases in button determination:
A. When the apparatus detects that a button area is pressed by the finger of a user, the apparatus performs processing associated with the pressed button.
B. When the apparatus detects that a button area is pressed by the finger of a user and then the finger is detached from the relevant button area, the apparatus performs processing associated with the pressed button.
In a case of A, since the button operation by the user is input as soon as the user touches the button, the user can feel a light touch input. For example, when a calculator having large buttons is displayed, the feeling of operation can be improved. However, in a case of A, even if the user touches a button by mistake, the button operation by the user is input as soon as the button is touched. To address this problem, the method in a case of B is used to provide accuracy in button depression. Case B is a case which is a subject of exemplary embodiments of the present invention and will be described in detail below.
FIG. 7B illustrates a case where the user touches a button area (709) with the finger and then detaches the finger from the button area (710). In this case, when the apparatus detects that the finger touches the button area, the relevant button is put in the selection state. Then, when the apparatus detects that the finger is detached from the button area, the apparatus performs processing associated with the selected button. For example, when a copy button on a menu screen is selected, the screen changes to a copy application setting screen. When a color setting button on the copy application setting screen is selected, the screen changes to a color setting screen.
FIGS. 7C and 7D illustrate a case where the user touches a button area (711) with the finger, moves the finger outside the button area while keeping it in contact with the button area, and then detaches the finger (712). In this case, when the apparatus detects that the finger has been moved outside the button area as illustrated in FIG. 7C, the button selection is canceled. Therefore, if the user presses a button by mistake, the user is able to cancel execution of processing associated with the button by moving the finger out of the button area while keeping it in contact with the button area, and then detaching the finger.
However, in a case of a small-sized button such as the button 703, the user's finger may be moved out of the button area by slight motion of the finger although the user thinks the finger is detached from the button area after touching the button inside the button area. As a result, the execution of processing associated with the button will be canceled despite the user's intention.
To solve such a problem, an image forming apparatus performs control in the following way. When the apparatus detects that the finger of a user touches a button area and then the finger is moved out of the button area, the apparatus performs processing associated with the button as illustrated in FIG. 7D. By performing such control, even if the user operates a small-sized button, the execution of processing associated with the button can be prevented from being canceled despite the user's intention.
Lately, some image forming apparatuses have a touch panel display supporting flick operations. A flick operation refers to an operation in which the user quickly flips the surface of the touch panel display with the finger. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-210009 discusses an image forming apparatus which is provided with a plurality of applications such as copy and print, and displays a menu screen arranging icons for selecting applications to be used. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-210009 discusses a technique for smoothly scrolling the screen with a flick operation to change pages when icons do not fit into one page of the menu screen, so that the user can select an arbitrary application out of the plurality of applications provided by the image forming apparatus.
However, when it is enabled to perform flick operations in an image forming apparatus which performs button control as illustrated in FIG. 7D, the following problems will arise. More specifically, in a case where the user performs the flick operation in a button area, processing associated with the button will be performed when the user moves the finger out of the relevant button area. As a result, although the user performs a flick operation to change a page, processing associated with the button will be performed despite the user's intention.
Such a problem is not limited to a button, and may commonly arise with any display item which is scrollable by a flick or drag operation and is associated with processing to be performed when pressed by the user.